Everything is done online these days, from purchasing necessities to launching a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Similarly, the online version of the education industry eLearning education app development is thriving today.
The rapid advancement of technology, combined with the sudden onset of a global pandemic, has resulted in a tremendous advancement in e-learning progress.
Education is the foundation of any civilized person. For hundreds of years, the divine culture of imparting education apps and learning through teachers or educators has been a constant moral necessity. What has changed over time is the method of imparting education.
What used to be chalk and board has given way to whiteboards, and projectors, and now we have virtual classrooms, eLearning apps, and educational websites.
The COVID time has now been updated to reflect the current state!
The most significant driver of digital transformation to date, disrupting every sector, including education apps.
No one can deny that during and after COVID, eLearning education app development soared like an inflated balloon, leaving no room for an option but only a compulsion or, as some call it, a ‘new norm.’
So, let us begin by understanding the most important stages of an eLearning app. This blog will teach you:
- Types of eLearning Apps
- Key Features of an eLearning App
- Top Competitors
- Technology Stack
- The Total Cost Required For eLearning education app development
Types of e-learning applications
1. Courseware application
These types of apps help students build skills with online courses that contain both video and text and run only within the app. The best example of this application is Coursera, edX.
2. Classroom supplies
This software platform is used in distance learning classrooms and school classrooms. To facilitate education, the course content is projected onto a whiteboard or white screen. An example is Google Classroom.
3. Evaluation software
Assessment software is primarily used by educational professionals to create and administer tests to students through a digital platform. The software provides a format for instructors to write questions and enter answers, which in turn allows students to be assessed through quizzes, tests, and exams via a web portal or mobile app. E.g. StudyBlue.
4. Software for educational purposes
Education app built for a specific subject or domain includes on-demand learning and training for various industries such as healthcare, corporate education, pandemic or crisis management, and more. These types of applications have extensive discipline knowledge and targeted learning.
5. Learning application on demand
The most popular example of this type of app is the on-demand tutor app. These types of apps allow instructors and students to connect and attend online courses through real-time video calls built into the app. E.g. Everly, Chegg tutors, Flipclass, etc.
6. Memorization application
These types of eLearning applications use memorization techniques for a faster and more long-lasting memory. They generally use flashcards, and built-in audio to recite words.
7. Application for exam preparation
These applications come in different types such as tests and quizzes, flashcards and material databases. E.g. ExamPrep, SAT Up and Gradeup.
Basic features of an eLearning education app development
1. Online courses
This feature allows students to access hundreds of courses (paid or free) and majors developed by colleges and universities.
2. Video-based content
This feature allows students to listen to pre-recorded video lessons that instructors save to the app by topic. Video formats can be any of the following types:
- Animated videos with infographics and text
- Scripts or story videos with people
- Explainer videos with experts
- Kinetic text videos and background videos
- Animated videos on the board
- Interactive video content
- These types of videos allow students to attend classes at any time, rewind or fast forward, giving students complete freedom.
3. Interactive content
Interactive eLearning applications are designed to make the learning process more engaging and make full use of interactive tools to make learning fun and engaging. Format types include:
- A quick puzzle that triggers the cognitive process
- Interactive cards and newsletter
- Play-based learning through collaboration in the classroom or with parents
4. Reading material
This feature allows you to add e-books, research, and pages (realistic page rotation); can be available for reading at any time, and users can create bookmarks, categorize, highlight, adjust the font size and choose their own font style.
5. Activities and Events
This feature helps you promote quality learning through activities, templates and tutorials. It can take the form of an infographic template, photo comics, stop motion animation, interactive digital posters, virtual walkthroughs and other creative images.
6. Live Tutorials and Sessions
Many times, a simple content-based learning app doesn’t serve the purpose. Students need live courses where they can connect with an instructor or teacher in real-time and clear doubts instantly. Live tutorials and video sessions like on-demand tutor apps give a chance to interact live with the tutor and receive feedback without any external dependency on the course material in the app.
7. Gamification
Let students and adults learn in a fun way. Many organizations use this gamified feature to make learning fun and exciting for everyone. Say Like TedEd creates fun videos for all ages, and other gamified apps like this one make learning languages, music, history, art, and coding fun. Integrating this feature will allow you to attract more users and make them learn the topics in a pleasant and engaging way.
8. Online quizzes, mock tests and exams
Even if your application provides education in these many forms described above, it is equally important to evaluate the learning that the student is absorbing. Keeping a dedicated feature of tests and quizzes and course-based mock tests can help assess students’ learning graphs and find their weaknesses.
9. Social Media Integration
By integrating social media channels like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, etc., you can share links to your uploaded video tutorials, and audio clips and increase your viewership and user base. This increases engagement and motivates people to download the app.
10. Easy payments
By integrating multiple payment gateways, you can ensure seamless, easy and fast payments via cards, wallet and internet banking.
11. Notice
This feature can help you send important and timely alerts and notifications via SMS, email and push to instructors and students and help them act quickly.
12. Multilingualism
By making your app available in multiple languages, you can expand your user base across geographic boundaries.
13. Augmented reality
AR-based teaching and learning applications for students, such as Quiver, and Elements 4D, use scannable deep learning technology and connect the subject to multiple learning environments, allowing students to interact with content in a whole new way.
Competitors of eLearning Application
- For Teachers and Students: Kahoot
- For Teachers to Make Announcements: Google Classroom
- For Exam Preparation, contains quizzes, study guides, etc: StudyBlue
- Helps Students Starting from a Class Level: Socrative
- For Solving Mathematical Problems: PhotoMath
- For taking online courses, building skills from universities: Coursera, edX
- A bibliophile-type app: Amazon Kindle
- Video-based learning app: Periodic Table
- Online learning and teaching marketplace app: Udemy
Cost to Develop an eLearning App
The cost of developing an E-learning app depends on various factors like:
- Number of features and complexity of app functionalities
- Number of third-party integrations
- Developers and their location
- Hourly rates of the eLearning app development company
- Marketing and SEO expenditures
While the total cost to develop an eLearning website depends upon:
- UI/UX Design
- Web front-end development
- Web back-end development
- Quality assurance and testing
- Project Management
A basic version of the eLearning education app development costs around $17000-$20000 (depending on the features), while a complex app with advanced functionalities and features can cost significantly more depending on the features you choose to integrate.